Final Rites for The Most Rev. Drexel Wellington
Remembering Archbishop Drexel Gomez With Rev. Allison Dean
The Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands will welcome bishops, clergy, and lay representatives from across the Caribbean for the 42nd Triennial Provincial Synod of the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI), to be held November 8–13, 2025, at Breezes Resort, Cable Beach.
The Synod—held every three years—brings together delegates from the eight dioceses of the Province, including Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba, The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Windward Islands. With participation from bishops, clergy, lay, and youth delegates, the Provincial Synod will see more than 70 representatives engage in prayer, reflection, and governance on matters of shared mission, ministry, and witness across the Caribbean.
The Opening Service will be held on Sunday, November 9, at 5:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, George Street, preceded by a pre-service at 4:30 p.m. featuring the 60-voice University of The Bahamas Concert Choir. During the liturgy, a combined Provincial Synod Choir will offer sacred music. The public is invited to attend this historic celebration.
A highlight of the week will be the election of a new Archbishop for the Province, scheduled for Monday morning, November 10, as the Church prepares to chart its course for the coming triennium under new spiritual leadership.
This marks a significant occasion for the Diocese and for The Bahamas, as each diocese hosts the Provincial Synod only once every 24 years. The last gathering in The Bahamas took place in 2001 at the Holy Trinity Church campus in Stapledon Gardens.
Among the bishops expected to attend are:
-
The Rt. Rev. Philip Wright, Senior Bishop and Bishop of Belize
-
The Rt. Rev. C. Leopold Friday, Bishop of the Windward Islands
-
The Rt. Rev. & The Rt. Hon. Laish Z. Boyd, Bishop of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands
-
The Rt. Rev. Claude Berkeley, Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago
-
The Rt. Rev. Charles Davidson, Bishop of Guyana
-
The Rt. Rev. Michael Maxwell, Bishop of Barbados
-
The Rt. Rev. Ernest Fleming, Bishop of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba
-
The Rt. Rev. Leon Golding, Bishop of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands
-
The Rt. Rev. Alfred David, Suffragan Bishop of Kamarang (Guyana)
-
The Rt. Rev. Garth Minott, Suffragan Bishop of Kingston (Jamaica and the Cayman Islands)
-
The Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks, Retired Bishop of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba
-
The Rt. Rev. Gilbert Thompson, Retired Suffragan Bishop of New Providence and Assistant Bishop of this Diocese
The Bishop of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands, The Rt. Rev’d. Laish Z. Boyd has called on all members of the Diocese and the wider community to uphold the gathering in prayer, saying:
“This is a sacred and historic moment in the life of our Church and our nation. As we host our brothers and sisters from across the Province, may we be renewed in our faith and united in our mission to serve God in a changing world.”
About the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI)
The CPWI is a regional body of the Anglican Communion, comprising eight dioceses across the Caribbean. The Provincial Synod is the highest decision-making body of the Church, meeting every three years to deliberate on matters of doctrine, ministry, mission, and administration.
